Palatinate wine-growing region: A piece of heaven on earth

Cultivated area

Looking to live the good life? It’s an understandable impulse. But take it from us: the truly good life is right next door – in Palatinate. With some 1,800 hours of sunshine, Palatinate is one of the mildest regions in Germany and can still be said to have a “cool climate.” It’s something you’ll notice not only in the wine but also in the state of mind of those you meet there: despite the heavenly conditions, we like to stay grounded. After all, it’s also the good earth and the wide variety of soil and rock that make our wines so unique.

Our chefs regularly reach for the stars.

We are a veritable El Dorado for fans of haute cuisine, with our chefs regularly reaching for the stars. But we are just as happy to meet up for a wine spritzer at one of our beautiful village fountains. Why not savor Palatinate’s savoir vivre yourself?

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Indulge in the royalty of the Palatinate

Cultivated area

32%

68%

With more than 23,700 hectares under cultivation, Palatinate is Germany’s second-largest wine-growing region, and the 5,971 hectares of Riesling are even considered world-class. White wines make up 68 percent of the area, and red wines and rosé are the other 32 percent.

Soil characteristics and grape varieties

Willingness to experiment

The Palatinate rocks and soils are diverse, with red sandstone, limestone, gravel, loess, clay, and marl as well as slate and basalt represented. This gives rise to wines with a wide variety of character depending on the composition of the soil. Accordingly, the people of Palatinate love to experiment in regard to their grape varieties, and a total of more than 190 different types of grapes are authorized to be grown in the region. The clear number one here is Riesling grapes, closely followed by bold Burgundies such as Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir.

Wine styles

Balanced

The mild climate with plenty of sun is something that is great not only for the people but also for the grapes. Dry but full-bodied topflight Rieslings are produced here, some of which are among the best wines in the world. For all their differences, most wines from Palatinate have something in common, and that is their perfect balance. There is even a special Palatine expression to describe this experience, which is admittedly somewhat unpolished: “Maul voll Wein” or “mouth full wine” is what we like to say when it tastes particularly good.

Wineries and annual yield

1,737 wineries

The 1,737 wineries produce some 2 million hectoliters of wine annually.

Things to see and do

In Palatinate, everything revolves around the more than one million vines, but they are really in a class by themselves. And here you can take a deep dive into the history of German democracy – as well as stop at one of our rustic forest huts if you need a break now and then.

Hambach Castle

In 1832, tens of thousands of people demonstrated and celebrated for freedom and civil rights in front of the ruins of Hambach Castle as part of the German democracy movement. The surrounding vineyards provide a spectacular backdrop to this historic site.

The German Wine Route

One of Germany’s most famous wine routes runs through the Palatinate region. This 85-kilometer scenic route will take you past picturesque vineyards and allow you to visit wine villages, wineries and seasonal wine taverns where you can purchase bottles of wine directly from the producers.

Palatinate forest huts

The best way to explore Germany’s largest contiguous forest area, Palatinate Forest, is by hiking through it. It’s a good thing we have a dense network of more than 100 staffed hiking huts where you can stop off when your feet get tired.

Speyer Cathedral

Rhineland-Palatinate is home to all three of Germany’s imperial cathedrals, but if you only have time for one, check out the one in Speyer. It’s the largest preserved Romanesque church in the world and a landmark of superlatives in other ways as well, so it’s no surprise that it is UNESCO World Heritage.

Would you like to take an even deeper dive into Palatinate?

If so, we suggest that you also take a look at the website of this dynamic wine region.

pfalz.de

Further information can be found here:
Tourism and Experience
Investments
Make it in Rhineland-Palatinate